Seele disappeared.
Not just gone, but vanished, disappeared from Inaba Tsukiyo and Bronya's lives.
No matter how Inaba Tsukiyo searched the orphanage for Seele's whereabouts, she couldn't find her.
Bronya, who cared about Seele the most, seemed to know something. After waking up, she just stayed in her room, crying silently.
After Inaba Tsukiyo searched every place Seele might have gone and still couldn't find her, she gave up looking for Seele's whereabouts.
She had a premonition that Bronya might know the secret of Seele's disappearance, and that this matter was definitely related to Cocolia.
That witch, at the same time Seele disappeared, also did not appear at the orphanage. It must have been that person who took Seele away.
"Tell me, Bronya. I know you've grown up and have your own secrets, but this secret is related to Seele, isn't it?"
"Tsukiyo-nee-chan... do you know about the experiment? About the M-10 experiment."
After a moment of silence, Bronya told Inaba Tsukiyo about Cocolia's project, the M-10 experiment.
"The main purpose of this experiment is to find a way for the body to fully adapt to Honkai Energy."
"The Honkai Energy overflowing from the Honkai corrupts the bodies of normal humans, but the orphans at Cocolia Orphanage all possess antibodies against Honkai Energy, and can even use Honkai Energy to a certain extent."
"However, the human body's antibodies have limits. In the end, your bodies will still be destroyed by Honkai Energy through continuous changes."
"Therefore, if this project can be tested, then the children of Cocolia Orphanage might become New Humans."
"Even if the experiment fails, the experimental data can help them further understand Honkai Energy. Their purpose in doing this is to solve the problems of other humans."
"What New Humans, Old Humans? This witch, I really shouldn't have trusted her. She adopted those children with Honkai antibodies for a reason. Damn witch!"
"No... Tsukiyo-jie. Bronya volunteered to participate in this experiment. If... if Bronya didn't participate, Seele would become an experimental subject. I..."
"So you took her place as the experimental subject to let Seele live? You... are too foolish."
Inaba Tsukiyo hugged Bronya, feeling a pang of heartache. She was well aware of the bond between Bronya and Seele. As their elder sister, how could she not see their close relationship?
"Have you ever considered that if Seele knew you took her place as an experimental subject, she wouldn't thank you; she would hate you instead."
She cupped Bronya's head in her hands. Bronya's cheeks were already streaked with tears. She cried silently, looking at Inaba Tsukiyo with confusion.
"I know you've always liked Seele, and you love her very much. If Seele loves you too, then she would absolutely not forgive your sacrifice. What Seele yearns for is to live together..."
"Tsukiyo-jie... What should Bronya do? What should Bronya do? Bronya wants to see Seele. Bronya wants to meet Seele."
"I know, I know. Seele... Seele must still be alive!"
"Bronya..."
Bronya's current mental state was very strange, almost on the verge of collapse, which was not a good thing.
Although there was no definite confirmation that Seele had died, it was almost certain that Seele had no chance of surviving this experiment.
"I understand..."
A few days later, on a stormy night, Cocolia, who had been missing for several days, finally returned to the orphanage.
Even before she entered, Inaba Tsukiyo was already waiting for her at the orphanage's entrance.
The moment the door opened, Cocolia met a pair of extremely cold eyes.
"It seems you've done many things behind my back, witch. M-10 experiment? Saving humanity? For this world? Heh heh~ It seems I underestimated your cruelty. A so-called mother, it seems, is nothing more than Little Red Riding Hood's Big Bad Wolf."
Inaba Tsukiyo did not choose to attack Cocolia. Instead, she sat on the steps by the door, sneering.
"This was Seele's voluntary participation in the experiment in place of Bronya, and Seele has a Stigma. We thought the experiment could..."
"Political rhetoric to deceive the common people. Don't treat me like those children you've fooled. Even if you truly see Bronya and Seele as your daughters, what then? A mother who pushes her own daughters onto the experimental table? To save the world, it doesn't matter if you sacrifice your own daughters? To sacrifice the few for the many? Heh heh~ In the end, it's all just your selfishness."
Cocolia fell silent for a rare moment. She didn't know how to refute Inaba Tsukiyo's words, or rather, she somewhat agreed with Inaba Tsukiyo's assessment of her?
In her philosophy, sacrificing the few for the lives of the many was entirely worth it, even if it meant sacrificing the lives of her dearest ones.
Anti-Entropy's motto was 'eliminate Honkai without harming humanity itself.' Cocolia's actions undoubtedly violated this, which was also the main reason for the factional split within Anti-Entropy.
"You told me you despised the military for training children into killers. But you, who personally rescued these children, then personally sent them into the laboratory to die, to obtain so-called experimental data. What's the difference between you and those military people? Hypocritical. I look down on you, Cocolia."
"...I'm sorry."
"Don't tell me that; I'm not your child. Our relationship is merely a partnership. I'm actually very grateful to you for making me see the hypocrisy of humanity more clearly. I somewhat understand why Honkai wants to eliminate humans."
Inaba Tsukiyo still remembered the voice from last night very clearly. Although she didn't know who the person who appeared later was, the voice that first appeared was undoubtedly related to Honkai.
"...Seele is no longer here. The M-10 experiment has failed. Her body was destroyed the moment it broke through the subatomic level. She no longer exists anywhere in this world."
"Changing the subject? I have to say your words are indeed useful. Although I don't fully understand quantumization, I know that Seele isn't dead, but has become a quantum state. We can't touch her, and she can't touch us. Forever trapped in a cage, forever living alone. You are too cruel! Cocolia!!!!"
Inaba Tsukiyo's aura completely erupted. The ground she stood on began to crack, and her mere presence generated a massive airflow, causing Cocolia to involuntarily shield herself.
The moment she lowered her hand, Inaba Tsukiyo appeared before her. She tried to defend herself but was tripped by Inaba Tsukiyo, falling heavily to the ground.
Wincing in pain, Cocolia closed her eyes. When she opened them again, a cold blade was pointed at her.
mikazuki munechika had unsheathed at some unknown moment, carrying a killing intent. With just a flick of the wrist, it could take Cocolia's life.
However, Inaba Tsukiyo did not do so. Even though she wanted to kill Cocolia right then and there, she ultimately held back and sheathed mikazuki munechika.
"To be honest, I really want to kill you, witch. However, you are still somewhat useful to that child. She truly sees you as her mother. If I killed you, that child might not say anything, but she would definitely resent me."
Gazing at Cocolia, who lay on the ground, Inaba Tsukiyo turned, picked up her backpack from the entrance, and walked out the door.
"Wait! Where are you going!"
Although tripped, Cocolia was not injured. She quickly stood up, holding onto the doorframe, and shouted at Inaba Tsukiyo, who was walking in the rain.
"I... I'm leaving. There's no longer any value for me to stay here. Go. Bronya is still waiting for you. Tell her about Seele."
After speaking, Inaba Tsukiyo continued forward, completely disappearing from Cocolia's sight.
Why leave?
Inaba Tsukiyo didn't want to leave either. Although Seele was also a very important person to her, she had decided to protect Bronya and shouldn't leave here.
But... it no longer mattered. Seele had disappeared into this world in a quantum state. Bronya, knowing this, would surely threaten Cocolia to restart the M-10 experiment, to see Seele again.
For Bronya, even if the experiment ultimately led to her disappearance, it no longer mattered, because what she wanted most was to see Seele.
The moment Bronya decided to see Seele again, she had already given up on returning to reality. She would accompany Seele and remain in that lonely world.
The reason Inaba Tsukiyo left was fear, fear of hearing the news of Bronya's experimental failure.
If that truly happened, then the only person she cared about in this world would also disappear.
Inaba Tsukiyo stopped and looked up at the sky.
Just like her current mood, a light rain fell, and even the weather was terribly gloomy.
"Alone again, huh? Perhaps, this is my fate. I didn't want to have too close relationships with anyone, so why couldn't I control myself in the end?"
Whether in the previous world or this one, she repeatedly told herself not to have too close relationships with others, yet she violated her own rules again and again.
Perhaps Inaba Tsukiyo was well aware that she couldn't fully endure the loneliness in her heart, especially after the solitude in her heart was unleashed; this feeling was simply uncontrollable.
"Cocolia... Anti-Entropy... Heh heh~"
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